Launch Framework

A concise teacher-facing guide that outlines what students should carry forward from 9th grade physics into future learning and real-world reasoning. Why it's helpful: This resource helps educators design units and assessments that emphasize enduring skills—like scientific modeling, collaborative thinking, and real-world application. Use it to anchor long-range planning, student reflection, or department-wide curriculum alignment.

Design your physics units with purpose, not just coverage. This teacher-facing toolkit helps you build a strong conceptual foundation for any 9th grade physics course using the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework. Whether you're planning from scratch or refining existing units, these documents help clarify what matters most—what students should understand, be able to do, and carry with them beyond the classroom. Perfect for teachers, coaches, and curriculum leads working to align instruction

A full-year overview of a 9th grade physics course organized by units, sub-units, transfer goals, and instructional strands. Why it's helpful:Perfect for new teachers, curriculum designers, or departments seeking coherence, this roadmap outlines how content and scientific practices progress over time. Includes notes on implementation, equity, and final assessments.

A tiered vocabulary and content guide organized by unit and concept importance (Must-Know, Nice-to-Know, Application-Only). Why it's helpful:This tool helps educators prioritize vocabulary that supports modeling, reasoning, and system thinking—while also supporting differentiated instruction and equity. Ideal for planning, scaffolding, and integrating math/physics language.

A set of broad, transferable insights that summarize what students should come to understand—not just recall—by the end of each unit. Why it's helpful:Enduring understandings serve as touchstones for planning, instruction, and reflection. They help educators shift focus from content coverage to lasting conceptual depth and equip students to apply physics thinking beyond the classroom.

A curated set of high-leverage essential questions for each physics unit and for crosscutting science practices like modeling, inquiry, and discourse. Why it's helpful:Essential questions foster curiosity, structure classroom dialogue, and guide student investigations. This resource supports lesson launches, formative assessment, and collaborative sensemaking in an NGSS-aligned classroom.

A concise teacher-facing guide that outlines what students should carry forward from 9th grade physics into future learning and real-world reasoning. Why it's helpful:This resource helps educators design units and assessments that emphasize enduring skills—like scientific modeling, collaborative thinking, and real-world application. Use it to anchor long-range planning, student reflection, or department-wide curriculum alignment.

A full-year overview of a 9th grade physics course organized by units, sub-units, transfer goals, and instructional strands. Why it's helpful: Perfect for new teachers, curriculum designers, or departments seeking coherence, this roadmap outlines how content and scientific practices progress over time. Includes notes on implementation, equity, and final assessments.

A tiered vocabulary and content guide organized by unit and concept importance (Must-Know, Nice-to-Know, Application-Only). Why it's helpful: This tool helps educators prioritize vocabulary that supports modeling, reasoning, and system thinking—while also supporting differentiated instruction and equity. Ideal for planning, scaffolding, and integrating math/physics language.

A set of broad, transferable insights that summarize what students should come to understand—not just recall—by the end of each unit. Why it's helpful: Enduring understandings serve as touchstones for planning, instruction, and reflection. They help educators shift focus from content coverage to lasting conceptual depth and equip students to apply physics thinking beyond the classroom.

A curated set of high-leverage essential questions for each physics unit and for crosscutting science practices like modeling, inquiry, and discourse. Why it's helpful:Essential questions foster curiosity, structure classroom dialogue, and guide student investigations. This resource supports lesson launches, formative assessment, and collaborative sensemaking in an NGSS-aligned classroom.

A concise teacher-facing guide that outlines what students should carry forward from 9th grade physics into future learning and real-world reasoning. Why it's helpful: This resource helps educators design units and assessments that emphasize enduring skills—like scientific modeling, collaborative thinking, and real-world application. Use it to anchor long-range planning, student reflection, or department-wide curriculum alignment.

A synthesis of the course’s foundational concepts, linking core content to inquiry, modeling, and collaboration. Each “big idea” provides a conceptual throughline across units. Why it's helpful:These ideas help teachers maintain coherence across units and guide students toward deeper understanding. They’re perfect for framing instruction, supporting reflection, or designing performance-based assessments.

A synthesis of the course’s foundational concepts, linking core content to inquiry, modeling, and collaboration. Each “big idea” provides a conceptual throughline across units. Why it's helpful:These ideas help teachers maintain coherence across units and guide students toward deeper understanding. They’re perfect for framing instruction, supporting reflection, or designing performance-based assessments.